Ornamental sheet leather



April 13, 1948.

M. A. MILLER ORNAMENTAL SHEET LEATHER Filed Dec. 10, 1940 nnentor A VV VvvvYvYv A. w MZ Patentecl Apr. 13, 1943 sTATes OFFICE 23163351 ORNAMENTAL SHEE'IJ LEATHER Michael A; Miller, New York, N. Y.

Application December 10, 1940, Serial No. 369,415

'i Claims.

This invention relates to ornamental sheet material and more particularly to ornamental leather for use in the manufacture of shoes, belts, ladies' handbags, travelling bags, wallets, brief cases, and numerous other leather articles.

One object of the invention is to provide ornamental sheet material in which there is utilized a multiplicity of'small leather pieces which might otherwise be wasted, but which are so arranged in relation to each other and to other elements of the material as to provide ornamental material which is useful for making numerous leather articles. i

A further object of the invention is to provide sheet material which while comprising a relatively large number of small leather pieces has the appearance of a single larger piece of leather.

Another object of the invention is to provide ornamental material of the character described with elements which frame the leather pieces forming therewith a plurality of panels disposed at the outer surface of the material.

The above objects of the invention and other objects which might hereinafter appear will be more fully understood from the following description considered with reference to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a piece of ornamental sheet material embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a piece of material util ized in producing the ornamental material of the present invention, and illustrating the method of making the same;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification; o

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line li--fil of Fig. l. i

Referring now to the drawing in further detail, the ornamental material I!! embodying the present invention eomprises, as here shown in the drawing, a hacking layer l2 which consists preferably of a continuous piece of fabric, and an upper layer composed of a multiplicity of leather pieces |4 arranged in edge to edge relation on hacking layer l2 in face to face relation therewith. Said leather pieces are relatively thin being derived from leather, for example reptile skins or other suitable leather utilized in the manufacture of the uppers of shoes, ladies' handbags, etc. The grain or ornamental side of the leather is upper-- most while the fiesh side of the leather lies against the backing layer. Said leather pieces l li, while here shown as quadrilateral, can be of any suitable shape but are preferably shaped to interthe leather pieces.

fit so that when arranged in edge to edge relation on the backing layei` no spaces are left between the adjacent edges of adjacent leather pieces. Also the leather pieces are preferably but not necessarily of the same size, or approximately of the same size, but they can be of different sizes on the same hacking layer. The leather pieces |4 are secured to backing layer |2 by an adhesive interposed between the surface of the backing layer and the contiguous surfaces of said leather pieces, the interposed adhesive preferably completely covering the back of each leather piece. The adhesive is indicated at 16 in Fig. 4.

After the leather pieces are adhesively united with the backing layer 12 they are stitched to said layer by continuous lines of stitching IB passing through said leather layer pieces adjap cent the edges thereof. As illustrated in Fig; 3 a

single line of zig-zag stitching Ilia can be utilized instead of two adjacent lines of stitchingr 18 provided in the material illustrated in Fig. 2. In

vother respects the material illustrated in Fig. 3

is vthe same as that illustrated in Fig. 2. o

As illustrated in Fig. 1 a plurality of narrow multi-ply strips 29 and 22 of leather are positioned over the adjacent marginal edge portions of adjacent leather pieces 14 along the lines therebetween, respectively. Each of said strips is preferably of continuous length and as here shown said strips are arranged in spaced relation corresponding to the marginal edge portions of Also as here shown the strips 20 and 22 are ai'ranged in intersecting relation to'fr'ame the leather pieces so that the resulting `ornamental sheet material |0 has an outer surface constituted by a plurality of contiguous panela Strips 20 and 22 overlie and conceal the edges of the leather pieces and the stitching, by

which said leather pieces are secured to hacking 'layer [2. Said strips 20 and 22 are of the same construction and are formed of thin leather folded as illustrated in Fig. 4. Each folded strip comprises three plies or layers, i. e., a bottom layer 24, an intermediate layer 26 and an upper layer 28, and each strip has folded side edges 30 and 32. The several layers of the strips are adhesively united to each other by adhesive applied between layers 26 and 28 during the folding operation, some of said adhesive being forced between the adjacent surfaces of layers 24 and 26 during the folding operation. Elach strip is secured in position by line of stitching 34 passing through bottom layer 24 and through the hacking layer i2 as well as through or between the adjacent layer pieces |4. Stitching 34 lies close to one side edge,

i. e., the edge 30 of the strip. In attaching the strips 20, a fiat strip is stitched in position and simultaneously folded into the form illustrated in Fig. 4 by a folder of any suitable type provided as an attachment to the sewing machine, the adhesive being applied at the outlet end of the folder. Pressure is applied, as by means of a roller to the outer surface of strips 20 as the same leave the folder for the purpose of flattening said folded strips. It will be observed that the lines of stitching 34 of the several strips are concealed between the inner surfaces of said strip, respectively, the upper layers 28 covering said lines of stitching. It will be noted also that while strips 20 and 22 can be forrned of relatively thin leather, when said strips are folded they have substantial depth or thickness which enhance the framing effect of the panels defined thereby. It will be understood further that sheet material produced as disclosed herein is soft and pliable being in this respect similar to ordinary leather provided with a lining of fabric, such as shoe uppers having fabric linings.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the latter may be embodied otherwise than as herein shown or described, and that in the illustrated embodiment certain changes in the details of construction and in the arrangement of parts may be made. Therefore I do not wish to be limited precisely to the construction herein disclosed, except to the extent which may be required by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Ornamental sheet material comprising a hacking or lining layer, an outer layer carried by said hacking layer, said outer layer comprising a plurality of pieces of leather arranged in edge to edge relation on said hacking layer in face to face relation therewith and secured in said relation by lines of stitching disposed adjacent the edges of said leather pieces, a plurality of narrow folded strips of leather extending longitudinally of and covering the adjacent marginal edge portions of said leather pieces along the lines therebetween, respectively, and lines of stitching passing through the bottom layers of said folded strips, respectively, and through the adjacent pieces of leather at one side of each of said lines, respectively, and concealed by their respective outer layers for securing said tubular strips in position, said strips overlapping the marginal edge portions of adjacent leather pieces at both sides of said lines.

2. Ornamental sheet material comprising a backing or lining layer, an outer layer carried 'by said hacking layer, said outer layer comprising a plurality of pieces of leather secured in edge to edge relation on said hacking layer in face to face relation therewith, and a plurality of narrow strips of leather extending longitudinally of and covering the adjacent marginal edge portions of said leather pieces, each of said strips being folded along transversely spaced longitudinally extending lines whereby said strip has folded side edges and comprises three layers, including a bottom layer and an upper layer, a line of stitching passing through the bottom layer of each strip for securing the latter in position, said line of stitching being concealed by the upper layer of said strip, said layers of each strip being adhesively secured together in said folded relation of the strip.

3. Ornamental sheet material comprising a backing or lining layer, an outer layer carried by said hacking layer, said outer layer comprising a plurality of pieces of leather arranged in edge to edge relation on said hacking layer in face to face relation therewith and secured in said relation by lines of stitching disposed adjacent the edges of said leather pieces, a plurality of narrow folded strips of leather extending longitudinally of and covering the adjacent marginal edge portions of said leather pieces, and lines of stitching passing through the bottom layers of said folded strips, respectively, and concealed by their respective outer layers for securing said tubular strips in position, said strips being arranged in spaced relation corresponding to the opposite edge portions of the leather pieces covered thereby and certain of said strips crossing other strips for framing said leather pieces, respectivcly.

4. Ornamental sheet material comprising a backing or lining layer, an outer layer carried by said hacking layer, said outer layer comprising a plurality of pieces of leather secured in edge to edge relation on said hacking layer in face to face relation therewith, and a plurality of narrow strips of leather extending longitudinally of and covering the adjacent marginal edge portions of said leather pieces, each of said strips being folded along transversely spaced longitudinally extending lines Whereby said strip has folded side edges and comprises three layers, including a bottom layer and an upper layer, a line of stitching passing through the bottom layer of each strip for securing the latter in position, said line of stitching being concealed by the upper layer of said strip, said layers of each strip being adhesively secured together in said folded relation of the strip, said strips being arranged in spaced relation corresponding to the opposite edge portions of the leather pieces covered thereby and certain of said strips crossing other strips for framing said leather pieces, respectively.

MICHAEL A. MILLER. 

